Red Sox Nation
From SoSH
Red Sox Nation is a term given to fans of the Boston Red Sox. The phrase "Red Sox Nation" was first used by Boston Globe feature writer Nathan Cobb in an October 20, 1986 article about split allegiances among fans in Connecticut during the 1986 World Series between the Red Sox and the New York Mets. The phrase was popularized by the 1996 book At Fenway: Dispatches From Red Sox Nation (ISBN 0-5177-0104-9) by Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy.
Red Sox fans were once described by baseball commentator and Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley as the "ultimate manic-depressive fanbase." For all the excitement over the quality of play by the Red Sox, there is often a twinge of pessimism about the team, as the team's failures are typically blown out of proportion. Conversely, Sox fans are extremely appreciative of and devoted to the team, and almost all successful Red Sox players have at some point expressed their gratitude to the fans for their support. Sox fans could not be described as bandwagon fans, but they could at least be described as being somewhat rattled by the failures the team experienced for the 86 years between championships. Boston Globe columnist Charlie Pierce, among others, has attributed the self-perpetuating fatalism of the Nation to the intellectual legacy of the Puritans who settled Boston and instilled in the region's inhabitants a deep-seated Calvinist determinism.[1]
With the Red Sox victory in the 2004 World Series after the team's comeback from a three games to none deficit in the American League Championship Series against their ancient rivals, the New York Yankees, some commentators speculated that the title would change the nature of the Nation's denizens. A refrain oft-repeated by doubters, especially Yankee fans, is that the Red Sox would become "just another team" now that they have won the World Series. Others have worried that there will be an influx of fair-weather Sox fans, such as the influx of the pink hats. Because so many New England natives re-locate to other parts of the country, a large number of Red Sox fans can typically be found supporting their team at Red Sox games outside of Fenway Park. These fans keep up with the team by watching the games on satellite television, as well as through various Web sites. Members of the Nation are even known to call the popular WEEI sports-talk radio station in Boston long distance during the season and remain on hold, merely to be able to talk about their beloved Sox. Fans in California have created a Red Sox Nation West.
Red Sox Nation is fed by a large media machine covering the team, including the NESN TV network, WEEI, and the sports pages of the Boston Globe, Boston Herald, and The Providence Journal. These media outlets, including national outlets such as ESPN, provide Sox fans with in-depth coverage and often highly-opinionated commentary on the current doings of the team.
